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Supraland: Six Inches Under Review

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It’s almost the season where we all feverishly look forward to some big announcements and get a glimpse of what’s to come for the gaming market over the next couple of years. I love the build up to a big release as much as the next person, but among the demanding, chaotic discourse that surrounds the industry these days, being taken by surprise makes for a refreshing change. In a good way, I must stress.

Enter Supraland: Six Inches Under. That’s right folks, sound the shadow drop klaxon, because without any warning, it’s here! 

When I got the heads up code had dropped, I was very excited because I reviewed the first Supraland game and absolutely loved it. It felt like a cross between It Takes Two, Grounded and Minecraft; crucially keeping things simple whilst still being incredibly enjoyable.

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Run for it in Supraland: Six Inches Under

Supraland: Six Inches Under takes us back to the sandbox kingdom, but before you can get comfortable the townspeople are plunged into danger due to the “Rakening”. That’s right, a young gardener is seemingly unaware of the chaos he is causing for our red and blue residents, plunging them into the deep dark abyss below.

A word of warning, before we get stuck in. My first challenge was getting past the title screen as I seemingly couldn’t click through the main menu. After reinstalling twice, I resigned myself to trawling the internet for answers until I hit upon a Reddit thread. It turns out that the menu screen has a cursor, which you need to drag from its hiding place in the corner of the screen. I did feel a little silly, but then I’m not one to shirk from my duty of stopping you falling into the same trap dear readers, just to save face.

In essence, Supraland: Six Inches Under works much in the same way as the first game. This time around you play as the heroic Blue Plumber, who sets off on a quest to help the townspeople return to the surface after the “Rakening”. You will meet numerous residents of the underworld as you visit their settlements, hunting for the abilities necessary to reach the top of Cagetown. 

This wealthy society (set in what looks to be a hamster cage) is the key to returning back to the overworld. The little community is set up over three levels, and in order to lower the ramp to ascend to the next one, you’ll need a variety of new abilities to do so. However, the greedy Baron is not prepared to make it easy for you.

Supraland: Six Inches Under is a puzzle infused platformer at heart, with a sprinkle of combat thrown in for good measure. Coins are dotted around the environment as well as hidden away, and collecting these is more important than simply earning extra lives or contributing to your high score. In fact, it’s crucial to grab as many as you can.

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Can you save the world?

This is demonstrated best in the opening area as a merchant has some new abilities on offer, for the right price. Progression without some of these is impossible, and although you don’t need to collect every single coin to afford what’s on offer, you’ll need most of them which encourages and properly rewards your exploration. 

You’ll expand your skill set pretty quickly too. Before long you’ll be able to magnetise to metal objects, join wooden objects via a laser beam which you can traverse and even teleport around. Realising so many abilities can get tricky when it comes to the physics, but Supraland: Six Inches Under works pretty perfectly overall, with just a few cosmetic rough edges. 

On that note, I did encounter some lag both in frames and rendering at times, along with a total crash at one point. Also, at times it will look as if the save wheel is stuck which may make you concerned for your data. Do not fear, as despite this I never lost progress due to the ultra regular autosave feature working perfectly fine underneath the glitch. None of these issues are particularly problematic, and certainly don’t detract from the enjoyment of Supraland: Six Inches Under.

The game is filled with well designed, metroidvania environments. It’s a testament to the creativity of the development team that when you first discover a vast open area, you immediately start to try and figure out where to head first. You may feel the buzz of being a little overwhelmed (in a challenging sense) as you process the potential options to hand, but before long logic will see you putting all of the pieces together. Your abilities will allow you to access secret areas and other goodies as you unlock them, and thankfully fast travel pipes are available at Cagetown. You can also scribble notes on your map to help remember where to head back to later which is a helpful touch.

Despite first appearances, puzzles aren’t always obvious or straightforward. In many other games of this ilk, lazy invisible walls keep things linear and punish the imagination of the player, but instead here you’re rewarded for exploring every nook and cranny. For example, you may see a rock that juts out from a cliff face ever so slightly, and decide to try and reach it. When you do, it turns out you can actually stand on it, and through a small gap in the wall lies a secret treasure chest. It’s moments like this that elevate Supraland: Six Inches Under, because it consistently appeals to one of the core traits in players, the thrill of adventure.

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Supraland: Six Inches Under is a joy

Every now and then, you’ll be plunged into combat against the monsters that lurk beneath. Your trusty pickaxe can be used as a weapon, and upgrades will boost damage, swing cooldown and even give you the option to chuck it like a boomerang. 

Facing off against enemies is a straightforward and manageable affair that happens occasionally, which is just the right frequency as combat is not the main focus of Supraland: Six Inches Under. It feels much more streamlined compared to the first game.

I also love how the game looks. It’s big, bright and colourful despite being set underground for the majority of the journey this time around. You can even see your little dude from first person, if you look down, arms swinging as they run and jump instead of that floating sensation as you move around.

Supraland: Six Inches Under also works so well because the controls are tight. The platforming feels super comfortable and stress free, but doesn’t fall into the trap of being far too easy at the same time. There are numerous ways to get around depending on the abilities you want to use, and you’re given free reign to do so. Player freedoms such as this never fail to raise a smile on my face.

You’ll discover early on that Supraland: Six Inches Under doesn’t take itself seriously. Mentions of immigrants, a living wage and a trickle down economy conjured memories of recent political events that may have influenced the writing a little. The self-aware, or meta, tone extends to gaming in general as well.

I’m not sure why, but I was surprised at just how much the charming soundtrack in Supraland: Six Inches Under impressed upon me, in a world which is a joy to explore. A personal highlight is the backing music to the bank segment, which is still stuck in my head as I type these very words. Everything about the game is stuffed full of character, right down to the soundtrack.

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The adventures of Supraland: Six Inches Under

Having reflected, I’ve found it hard to define exactly why Supraland: Six Inches Under is so enjoyable, but at its core lies impeccably designed gameplay. It may not be brimming with brand new ideas, but the developers at Supra Games have absolutely nailed it (again). I don’t mean this is a derogatory way either, more the fact that there’s no flashy gimmicks here to try and pull you in. It’s a wholesome, sometimes understated adventure which is, put simply, really well made. I guess it’s fitting that publishing duties are shared with Humble Games, because I can’t think of one more so than this.

Although not a fully fledged sequel, Supraland: Six Inches Under is a technically impressive and wonderfully creative follow-up adventure for new and existing fans alike.

SUMMARY

Pros:
  • Brilliantly designed puzzles
  • Diverse range of abilities
  • Tightly tuned controls
  • Player exploration consistently rewarded
  • Bursting with character
Cons:
  • Still a few rough edges to iron out
Info:
  • Massive thanks for the free copy of the game go to - Humble Games
  • Formats - Xbox Series X|S (review), Xbox One, PS4, PS5
  • Release date and price - 18 May 2023 | £16.74
Darren Edwards
Darren Edwards
I have been playing games since a very early age, thanks to my Dad's encouragement. I've been an Xbox gamer since the very beginning, the Master Chief is to thank for that. I'm also a big Nintendo geek, and my other half is a PlayStation nut. I'll play pretty much anything in any genre (although FIFA and COD maybe pushing it).
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<b>Pros:</b> <ul> <li>Brilliantly designed puzzles</li> <li>Diverse range of abilities</li> <li>Tightly tuned controls</li> <li>Player exploration consistently rewarded</li> <li>Bursting with character</li> </ul> <b>Cons:</b> <ul> <li>Still a few rough edges to iron out</li> </ul> <b>Info:</b> <ul> <li>Massive thanks for the free copy of the game go to - Humble Games</li> <li>Formats - Xbox Series X|S (review), Xbox One, PS4, PS5 <li>Release date and price - 18 May 2023 | £16.74</li> </ul>Supraland: Six Inches Under Review
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